UNIT 1:Physics and human society

Friday, September 1, 2023 2:36 PM

Explain science and it's broad categories

• Science is a systematized knowledge arising from observation, study and
experimentation

The word physics is thought to have come from the Greek word phusis, meaning nature. Hence, physics
is a branch of natural science aimed at describing the fundamental aspects of our universe. These
include what things are in it, what properties of those things are noticeable, and what processes those
things or their properties undergo. In simpler terms, …
physics attempts to describe the basic mechanisms that make our universe behave the way it
does[ fundamental aspects of our universe]

A person who studies physics is called a physicist

Physics enables u to understand?[from the book]

ANS: • Physics enables you to understand the working principles of cars, airplanes, space-rockets,
refrigerators, radios, televisions, ETC as well as many of your daily utensils and tools.
• Physics explains physical phenomena such as the difficulty of walking on a smooth plane, and why an
electric fan rotates etc.
• Physics helps you discover some of the unknown parts of nature and makes you familiar with the
modern world.
• Physics helps you to understand some concepts in other subjects like: Biology, Chemistry, Geology,
Astronomy, et

Branches of Physics and their description

Mechanics : deals with the motion of an object without or with the reference of force
Acoustics : deals with the study of sound and its transmission, production, and effects
Optics : deals with the behavior, propagation, and properties of light
Thermodynamics : studies thermal energy and the transfer of heat
Electromagnetism : deals with the study of electromagnetic force like electric fields, light,
magnetic fields, ETC
Nuclear physics : deals with the structure, properties and reactions of the nuclei of atom
Astrophysics : employs the methods and principles of physics in the study of astronomical
objects and phenomena.

List as many physical phenomena in your surroundings as you can. Describe in which branch of physics
each physical phenomenon can be categorized

PHYSICS
• Chemistry: Chemistry deals with the interactions of atoms and molecules. However, it is rooted in
atomic and molecular physics.
• Engineering: Most branches of engineering also apply physics. For example, in architecture, physics is
at the heart of determining structural stability, acoustics, heating, lighting, and cooling for buildings.
• Geology: Parts of geology, the study of nonliving parts of Earth, rely heavily on physics; including
radioactive dating, earthquake analysis, and heat transfer across Earth’s surface.
• Biophysics: Biophysics applies principles and methods used in physics to study biological phenomena.
•Geophysics: applies the principles and methods of physics to the study of the Earth
• Medical Physics: Diagnostics and medical therapy, such as x-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI),
and ultrasonic blood flow measurements involves principles of physics

Physics, as it developed from the renaissance to the end of the 19th century, is called classical physics.
Revolutionary discoveries starting at the beginning of the 20th century transformed physics from
classical physics to modern physics.

Galileo Galilei: *Italian astronomer, Physicist and Engineer. 1st to study SS and universe using telescope

Isaac Newton: *English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, theologian, and author. <Law of
motion and gravity>.

Michael Faraday:*English scientist. contributed to the study of electromagnetism and

electrochemistry. His main discoveries include the principles underlying electromagnetic induction,
diamagnetism and electrolysis. In general he changed the world with magnet.

James Prescott Joule:*English physicist, mathematician and brewer. < the law of conservation of
energy> . His work helped lay the foundation for the first of three laws of thermodynamics

Marie Curie:*Polish-born French physicist and chemist. Pioneering research on radioactivity. <Nobel
prize for the discovery of polonium and radium>.

Albert Einstein:*German-born theoretical physicist.< Relativity and development of quantum

mechanics >.

Which one of the following is not a historical contributor in physics

a/ Willebrod Snell b/ Daniel Bernoulli
c/ Thomas Young d/ Charles Darwin

Classical mechanics is a physical theory describing the motion of macroscopic objects, from projectiles to
parts of machinery and astronomical objects, such as spacecraft, planets, stars, and galaxies.

From <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_mechanics>

PHYSICS